Both in 2009 and 2012 his problems started reappearing in the HC season before April. Nadal has physical problems in Rotterdam 09, in 2012 he started feeling pain since IW and even in 2010(a great year for him) he had knee problems in Miami.

On clay, he can go on painkillers and last longer because of the cushion of the surface, even if points are longer(though to be honest, today points are almost as long on HC as well). Even when Nadal is reasonably healthy, his knee problems always come back during hc season, especially when overplaying.

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'Attrition' is Nadal's comfort zone most of the time which exacerbates his knee problems. Muzza, Djoko and especially Federer can rip winners without it looking like a huge physical effort as it seems to be for Nadal.

First: Nadal could organize an exhibition match on clay practically anywhere in the world (how bout Spain for starters), I mean hes already playing an non tour exhibition match already isnt he? Why not organize his own on a surface that wont hurt his knees?

It's not like Nadal has a choice since everything on the pro tour is played on hard court except for 3 months a year. It's not because Nadal has to play on hard court that he has to like it. If he elicits to stay on the tour, he has to try and tackle hard courts regardless of his preferences. It doesn't mean he cannot state said preferences. He has every right to speak up his mind (especially since more surface variety would be beneficial for the tour in the future.)

Thousands of professional tennis players have played on hardcourts over the years and their careers have been just fine.

Hard courts are the toughest on the body and today they make up more of the tour than any other surface.

Players have expressed the desire to play FEWER hardcourt tournaments.

Nadal is the only one expressing the desire to REMOVE hardourts from the tour and trying to pass his opinion that they are bad for the sport as a fact.

Nadal is taking his own personal issues/feelings and trying to project them onto the entire tour.

Nadal then proceeds to conflict with his own desires/opinions by making his first matches back from injury (supposedly caused by hardcourts) at an exhibition match (note this is entirely his own choice to play) which will be played on a hardcourt (the very surface he says needs to be removed from the game). Keep in mind that as an exhibition match Nadal does not need or have to play it and furthermore he could choose to play an exhibition match anywhere on Earth on any surface he wishes but instead he is choosing to play on a hardcourt.

So you see where the lack of respect for his statements comes from, dont you?

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If Nadal says hardcourts should be removed, what surface does he suggest that the AO and USO be played on, exactly?

Wow everyone sub-quotes me on my calling Nadal out on wanting to remove hard courts from the game but conveniently fails to read this in my post:

"I can’t pretend not to play on hard courts when two of the Slams are on hard courts, but there is a mistake "with our game," Nadal said. “You don’t watch footballers playing on a hard surface, or basketball players, those sports with rapid movements. It’s not going to change for me and my generation. Hard courts are very negative for the body. I know the sport is a business and creating these courts is easier than clay or grass, but I am 100 percent sure it is wrong. I may have to play more on clay than before, but there aren’t that many options." source: http://www.tennis.com/news/2012/09/rafa-more-hard-courts-100-percent-wrong/39557/#.UG2fz03A85x

Wow everyone sub-quotes me on my calling Nadal out on wanting to remove hard courts from the game but conveniently fails to read this in my post:

"I can’t pretend not to play on hard courts when two of the Slams are on hard courts, but there is a mistake "with our game," Nadal said. “You don’t watch footballers playing on a hard surface, or basketball players, those sports with rapid movements. It’s not going to change for me and my generation. Hard courts are very negative for the body. I know the sport is a business and creating these courts is easier than clay or grass, but I am 100 percent sure it is wrong. I may have to play more on clay than before, but there aren’t that many options." source: http://www.tennis.com/news/2012/09/rafa-more-hard-courts-100-percent-wrong/39557/#.UG2fz03A85x

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So in other words I can't slide, run around and go crazy on cement because it hurts my knee so it's very negative.